


don't get nervous, i'm here and at your service

by ghoultown



Series: a dad, a demon, and their son [6]
Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Demon Parenting, Demon Shane Madej, Gay dads, Implied Bottom Shane, M/M, Meeting the Parents, Meeting the Teachers, PTO, Parent AU, Parents, Ryan Bergara In Love, Shane Madej is Soft, Shane just wants to be the best dad, Shane wants to impress ryan's parents, but go read the other parts, can maybe be stand alone, soft demon, surprise! heteronormativity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-07-04 18:11:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15846657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghoultown/pseuds/ghoultown
Summary: ("You've got to meet them," Ryan said curtly, settling himself onto Shane's thighs.Shane blinked, long and slow, fingers flexing on Ryan's skin. "Whom?""My parents.""Huh," Shane said, not breaking eye contact."Before we get married, you've got to meet my parents."Shane stared for a long time. Ryan shifted in his lap, and Shane had a revelation. "Did you do this number because you knew I'd be distracted enough to say yes?""I don't know. Are you distracted?""No...")or, the one where ryan has to deal with a panicked demon and shane is ready to join society as a normal dad





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is gonna be the first multi-chapter part in this series and i just!!!!! love a good soft demon shane, okay. i love a soft bottom demon who just want to be the best dad he can be.

Ryan entered the bedroom and Shane looked up at him, cringing as he recognized that expression that Ryan wore every time he had some news. Ryan closed the door behind him, and Shane pushed himself up from his lounging position.

"I didn't break the vase," Shane rushed out. Ryan held up a hand, as if to say _I can hear your thoughts, give it up already_ , and crawled onto the bed. He straddled Shane's lap, guiding his fiance's long hands under his shirt and to his hips. Shane had no complaints.

"You've got to meet them," Ryan said curtly, settling himself onto Shane's thighs.

Shane blinked, long and slow, fingers flexing on Ryan's skin. "Whom?"

"My parents."

"Huh," Shane said, not breaking eye contact.

"Before we get married, you've got to meet my parents."

Shane stared for a long time. Ryan shifted in his lap, and Shane had a revelation. "Did you do this number because you knew I'd be distracted enough to say yes?"

"I don't know. Are you distracted?"

"No," Shane's eyes were dark in moments, and he shrugged. "Yeah, I'll meet your folks. It's a human thing, surely. Even if I don't think I've got anything good to say to them."

"Of course you do." Ryan didn't seem convinced, and Shane couldn't blame him. "Plus, Wyatt'll be there. They love him. They'll focus on him."

"No, they won't, but! It'll be fine." Shane tapped the pads of his fingers on Ryan's waist, trying his hardest to seem confident. Ryan framed his face with his hands and his shoulders slumped, "I don't think I'll be good at this."

"At what?" Ryan was puzzled, "You're great at this. Great dad, great almost husband. No worries."

"No, I mean... I don't think I'm good at being someone to bring home. You know? What do I even have to impress them with, Ryan?" Shane shook his head. In the blink of an eye, Ryan was underneath him, Shane occupying his lap. Ryan rolled his eyes, tucking his hands into the waistband of his demon's boxers. Shane could be incredibly needy when he was anxious, but he'd never say anything about it. "I don't have a job, I don't have any credentials. I can't, like... talk to your dad about sports, or something."

Ryan tugged Shane's hands from his hair, "Calm down, Shane. They're not going to interrogate you."

Shane looked away, "They might."

"Shane - "

"They'll ask how we met, right? That's a human thing that matters." Shane bit his fingernails, humming. "Do we just _lie_? Oh, and they'll ask about how I'm supporting you and Wy, and I've got nothing for that either."

"Shane - "

"Not to mention the whole..." Shane flashed his eyes to black before squeezing them shut. He pressed a palm to his eye and sighed, "I'm, like a disaster. I'm not gonna get their blessing. I couldn't even accept their blessing."

"Hey, Shane - "

"Oh, well," Shane swapped their positions again, clearly uncomfortable with the level of vulnerability he was allowing. Ryan wanted to say something, but Shane was slipping back into a less-panicky state. He could mention it later. Shane crossed his arms behind his head and shrugged, "It'll be fine."

Ryan patted his chest, "Yes. It will be fine. You've been Wyatt's legal guardian for awhile now. This is the last step to get everything out of the way so we can get to the good stuff."

There was a moment of silence, just two uneasy smiles. Ryan hit the bed with a thud as Shane rolled out from under him, crossing to the closet and pulling at his hair.

"What do I even wear?!" Shane was tossing hangers over his shoulders, "Ryan! What's your mother's favorite color?"

"Purple," Ryan muttered, burying his face into his pillow.

-

"Wyatt, can you tell me a bit about your grandparents?" Shane asked, falling into a sitting position on the floor, his hands propping his head up. "What do they like? What are their names?"

"I could tell you that," Ryan said from the couch, searching through lists and lists of Disney movies to find one that both Shane and Wyatt would like. Which would be a miracle and a half.

"Yeah, but I'm asking Wyatt because Wyatt is blunter than you," Shane said, gesturing to the boy, "Anything?"

"Grandpa likes old Westerns - "

"I was in one, once," Shane said to Ryan, who quickly changed his search to find old Westerns with a familiar face in the thumbnail.

" - and coffee. And Grandma likes to knit - "

"Oh, that's lovely," Shane smiled. Ryan wanted to scream.

" - and gardening."

Shane ran a hand through his hair with a shrug, "That's simple enough. I like those things."

"She could talk about gardening for hours," Ryan said offhandedly before pointing at the TV with wide eyes, "Is that you?"

Shane turned to see the television and smiled, "Yeah! That's me and my good ol' buddy, John Ford." Shane pushed himself up onto his feet, moving himself to be closer. He traced the outline of his face on the screen, "This was the last time I saw Natalie before she, unfortunately, left us."

Ryan blinked. "... Natalie?"

"Natalie Wood," Shane looked over his shoulder at Ryan's horrified expression, "What?"

"Shane, you can't just... do you know what happened to her?" Ryan was clutching the remote like it was a lifeline. "On the...?"

"Of course I don't. I'm not just... invited to fancy boat parties with Chris Walken, Ryan. I'm not one of the _cool_ guys," Shane waved his hands like it was something outlandish. He dove onto the couch, resting his head in Ryan's lap.

"I really can't believe you," Ryan whispered. Wyatt rested his head back onto the cushions of the couch and Shane patted his head. "I've... I've been reading about the Natalie Wood case for years. YEARS. And you... you were best friends with her?"

"Kinda." Shane tilted his head up, "She was nice. Would have liked you a lot."

"Any other revelations you'd like to tell me about?" Ryan added the old film to his list and kept searching. "You didn't happen to know any other missing persons?"

Shane shook his head, "Nope."

"Are..." Ryan rubbed his forehead with his hands, "This is gonna sound crazy, I know, but are - "

"No, Ryan." Shane feigned disappointment. "There are not lizard people in the government."

"I wasn't going to say that."

"You were."

"You can't prove it."

"Are your parents as nutty as you, Ry?" Shane grunted as Wyatt jumped onto his chest.

"Not quite," Ryan ruffled Wyatt's hair. "But you should only be so lucky."

-

"Dad is Stephen, Mom is..." Shane looked to Ryan before holding a hand up, "Don't tell me! It's... Liz? No, Linda."

"Linda," Ryan nodded once.

"Stephen likes Westerns, caffeine, and hugs," Shane listed them off on his fingers. "Linda is a fan of flowers, knitting and crocheting, and! She likes Bruno Mars."

"She's in love with him," Ryan agreed. He pointed at Shane, "Do you know him?"

"No, but I think I might have met a great grandparent or something?" Shane thought for a moment, racking his old brain, "I'll have to draw a family tree, but that can wait."

"You'll be great, now lay down. You're making me dizzy." Ryan patted the covers next to him.

Shane pulled his shirt over his head, shimmying out of his pants and clambering next to Ryan, nestling underneath Ryan's arm. His feet dangled off of the edge of the bed, but he didn't care.

Ryan pressed a kiss to Shane's temple, frowning as he saw Shane grimace. "Shane?"

"Sorry. Headache," Shane shrugged, pushing himself closer to Ryan with a sigh.

"Just a headache?"

"Also my back hurts," Shane mumbled, pressing his lips against Ryan's ribs, "And my... hair? Hurts?"

"That's not good," Ryan sat up, dragging Shane with him (who groaned), "Do we need to go to urgent care?"

"No, Ryan. I'm pretty sure it's just some nerves," Shane shrugged, trying to push Ryan back down. "Let's relax and probably kiss, some."

"Shane, you can't just be in pain for no reason." Ryan pulled Shane up by the shoulders, holding him at an arms' length, "Where does it hurt?"

"Just..." Shane waved a hand around the front of his head, "Here. And," he tried to reach back and touch his spine but couldn't, "there."

"Very specific. Here, let me," Ryan placed a hand on Shane's back, just below the space where his wings were hidden, pressing in and gauging Shane's reactions. "Here?"

"Bit higher," Shane said, shifting.

"Is it your wings?" Ryan asked, his face contorted into a frown.

Shane shook his head, chuckling, "Can't be. I've got the healthiest flappers out there."

"Well," Ryan gave him a look, "Dad instincts kicking in, it's your wings."

"Huh," Shane frowned. "That's unfortunate."

"And you know what's under here?" Ryan pointed to Shane's head. "Horns."

Shane nodded, "Huh."

"... That's all?"

"Yeah. Now I know what the problem is, and I can deal with it on a latter day," Shane went to lay back down but Ryan held a hand on his shoulder. "What?"

"Are you okay, Shane. Really," Ryan gave him a solemn look and Shane drew back. "We can invite them here, if you want? Anything to make you more comfortable."

"It's just your parents, Ry. Just some more sweet lil' humans. I shouldn't be freaking out about this as much as I am." Shane curved around Ryan's arm, pressing his face to the pillow, "It'll be great."

"You sure?" Ryan asked.

"Yes, yes," Shane wrapped his arm around Ryan's waist, tugging him down with him. "I'm sure. Can we just sleep now?"

Ryan reluctantly nodded, allowing Shane to reach across him and turn out the light.

"You should stretch your wings out," Ryan said quietly. "Maybe that'll help."

There was a distant woosh sound, and Ryan felt the softness press against his bare arm. Shane hummed. "It does feel nice to stretch the girls once and awhile."

"Don't call your wings The Girls, Shane. That's weird."

Shane just hummed again, falling asleep on Ryan's chest with his fingers grasping Ryan's arm.

-

Ryan opened his eyes to see Shane pacing paths in the carpet, straightening his tie and murmuring things under his breath. Ryan said nothing, just watched his demon worry beyond himself, plotting all the possible directions any possible conversation could take, practicing delivery and specifics. Painting himself in a better light than Ryan could stand.

"You're freaking me out," Ryan said, pushing himself up on his elbows.

Shane looked at him. "My bad."

"Come lay down, Shane."

"Can't. I ironed this shirt," Shane held his arms up, "Don't wanna wrinkle it."

"Why are you wearing a tie?"

Shane shrugged. He turned to Ryan and placed his hands on his hips, "I've decided what I want to be. For you."

"... What?" Ryan wasn't awake enough for this. He sat up, wiping the sleep from his eyes and holding a pillow in his lap, ready to be blown away. "It's too early for roleplay, Shane."

"No, no." Shane wagged a finger, "I'm not doing a bit, Ryan. Just listen."

"Okay, okay." Ryan hugged the pillow in anticipation, "Take it away, baby."

"I'm going to be..." Shane placed his hands on his hips, the tip of his tie pointing to his right shoe. "... A PTO dad."

"... What." Ryan blinked a few times, trying to figure out what Shane had heard him say in his sleep to warrant this response. "Shane. What."

"Hear me out." Shane held his hands out like he was giving a presentation. Ryan glared at him and Shane dropped his arms. "I've got nothing to offer for your parents, right? Nothing that I can possibly offer to them except community service, so that's precisely what I'm going to do."

"Did... did you watch Lifetime last night or something? I don't understand." Ryan said. Shane's confidence began to falter and Ryan perked up, "Not to discourage you or anything, Shane. I'm just curious as to where this came from. Other from trying to impress my parents."

"Well, I love Wyatt," Shane began, making Ryan grin, "and kids aren't that difficult, but I have a feeling I'll be good at it. Which is rare, these days."

"C'mon now," Ryan said, eyes sparkling, "Don't put yourself down while wooing me."

"I'm not! Wooing you. I'm... wooing your parents. With community service." Shane rubbed the back of his neck, "It sounds crazy now that I'm saying it out loud."

"It's not crazy," Ryan wanted to hug Shane, but he was too far. "But you shouldn't go into PTO just to make my parents like you on the short-term."

"It's not on the short term," Shane said, planting his feet and slipping his hands into his shallow pockets. "When I commit to something, I commit forever."

"You're going to be a PTO dad forever?"

"Until Wyatt is old enough to tell me he wants me to stop," Shane said. "Which I don't anticipate will be soon, as I'll be the best PTO member there is."

"I don't doubt that," Ryan said. "But I won't support you if you demon your way into things."

"Ryan." Shane was stony, "I've never been more serious about anything in my life."

"...Okay." Ryan raised his eyebrows at Shane's demeanor. It was incredibly sexy.

"I would never cheat my way into something like this," Shane said, shoulders rigid.

"Of course not," Ryan nodded eagerly before crooking his finger. "Come here, so I can desecrate you in your little uniform."

"Uh? Not little, and I need this uniform." Shane looked down at himself, "It's my Put Together, Trust Me uniform."

"We've got a washing machine," Ryan deadpanned.

Shane hesitantly toed off his shoes, crawling onto the mattress. "Washing machines can't repair tears in fabric, Ryan."

"I'll go easy."

"No, you won't."

"No, I won't," Ryan captured his mouth in a kiss and Shane's shoulders went slack, his hands carding through Ryan's already-messy hair.

-

"I can't wear that in front of your parents anymore," Shane said, stuffing the clothes into the basin. Ryan grinned, leaning in the doorway, sated and incredibly amused that Shane's first thing he thought to do after coming was to rush himself and his clothes to the laundry room.

"You could, if you want," Ryan shrugged. "They won't know."

Shane grimaced, standing naked in the bright-white room, his wings flimsy with exhaustion. He looked to Ryan, "Where's Wy?"

"Asleep." Ryan checked the clock. "It's only 9."

"Huh," Shane said. "We're getting more efficient."

"Supposedly."

Shane snapped his fingers, donning a new pair of pants and a loose shirt that Ryan was almost certain was his own. "How many days do I have to craft a reputation for your family?"

"A few weeks," Ryan said, pressing his warm cheek to the cold door. "That's more than enough time to get the principal to fall in love with you."

"I know." Shane knelt on the floor to straighten his socks that had appeared out of thin air. "I'm not insecure about my lovability with middle age school teachers. It's your parents I'm worried about. This'll be like target practice."

"Don't... don't use Wyatt's teachers as target practice," Ryan said, hoping he didn't really need to clarify.

"Not literally," Shane said, straightening up again. He seemed much taller, much brighter than he was when Ryan first saw him.

"You're glowing, Shane."

Shane looked down at himself, eyes wide with worry. Ryan entered the room and placed his hand on Shane's shoulder. "Oh, not literally."

"Correct." Ryan smiled at him and kissed the corner of his mouth. He heard a rustle of fabric as Shane instantly dressed him with another click of his fingers and Ryan sighed in relief as Wyatt came around the corner, rubbing his eyes.

"Hey, baby," Ryan said, scooping the boy up in his arms. Wyatt grasped at the air in front of Shane, too sleepy to speak, and Shane took him from Ryan.

"Morning," Shane said, his face screwing into a confused frown as Wyatt curled up into his arms, nose in his neck, and fell asleep again. "Oh. Okay."

Ryan covered his mouth with his hands, silently requesting that Shane summon his phone (he does) so that he can take a picture. Shane's face is red and his arms are hooked protectively around the sleeping boy and Ryan has no doubt in his mind that his parents will love him. Of course they will. Not... that he'd had doubts before.

-

Ryan pawed at Shane's face, "Shane. Shane. Shane. Shane. Shane. Shane."

"What. What. What." Shane opened an eye. Ryan's phone was shoved into his face. He blinked a few times.

"It's Wyatt's teacher." Ryan said. "She wants to arrange a parent-teacher conference."

Shane was wide awake in seconds. He grabbed the phone with both hands and jumped out of the bed, launching himself toward the dresser.

"Yes, hello!" Shane dug through the drawers, phone pinned between his ear and shoulder, "This is Shane Madej, Wyatt's... other dad. When's the earliest time we can drop in?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Why can't we FLY there?!" Wyatt whined, stumbling after Shane as the tall man lead him by the hand to the car. Shane was so tall he had to bend the the side to keep his (official) son's hand in his while not holding the boy up off the ground.

"The only people who can know I can fly are yourself and your dad," Shane opened the door for Wyatt, who clambered into the back of the car with a pout. "It's kind of a secret that I'm a bird."

"Secret?" Wyatt's eyes were wide, gnawing on his lip in guilt he definitely couldn't hold. "I may have told some of my friends - "

"Eh, that's fine. You can tell them, they just can't see 'em." Shane closed the door and half-slid across the hood of the car (just to impress Wyatt, which he succeeded in quite easily) and opened his own. "It's complicated."

"I can understand," Wyatt grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest and looking out the window. "I just want to be flown to school."

"Maybe one day," Shane said, wondering if Ryan would give him the green light. Probably not, he decided, pulling out into the road. "Who knows. Maybe there are more bird parents out there."

Wyatt raised an eyebrow. "No. Only you."

Shane nodded once, content. "So it will be."

The drive was overall peaceful. Ryan had left some classic rock CD in the port that he used to play to Wyatt when he was a baby and it chilled Wyatt out quite well. Shane tapped his hands against the steering wheel, aware that they were going to be much earlier than they were expected. He feared

"Hey, Wy," Shane said quietly, a stage whisper. "Do you wanna get... milkshakes?"

Wyatt looked at him with doubtful eyes, ready for a trick up Shane's sleeve, "Really?"

"Yep," Shane pulled into a small joint just down the hill from Wyatt's school and pulled into a space. He looked at Wyatt, "Just don't tell dad, okay?" He knew full well Ryan could hear his thoughts, but Wyatt didn't have to know that.

Wyatt did a salute that needed work and fumbled with his seat belt until it clicked apart and he nearly fell on his face as he scrambled from the car should Shane not have caught him.

-

Shane hadn't been in a classroom in much too long. The changes he'd gone through and the changes the world had gone through were vast. Technology had definitely improved. The colors were bright and the paper was stiff and reliable. Wyatt clung to his sleeve as Shane walked inside, marveling at the TV and the technological whiteboard that projected Wyatt's profile and behavior (perfect, of course). He could care more about his clear wondrous expression, but he couldn't comprehend how easily kids could learn these days. Well, hypothetically.

"You must be Mr. Madej." Shane turned at the small voice. A petite woman was moving to stand from a small desk in the corner, already holding her hand out for him to shake. Shane crossed the room to meet her, holding his own hand and offering a very eager handshake. The worst part was over - he'd made it with Wyatt, everyone was in one piece. The majority of his anxiety was circumvented into energy to actually speak.

"Yes. That is... me," Shane nodded. "Sorry. Bit nervous. This my first official, uh. Parent meeting for Wyatt."

"That's wonderful," she said, eyes glimmering. Her hair was orange, bright orange, and her earrings were heavy and pulling her earlobes to her shoulders. "Welcome to the classroom!"

"Thank you." Shane looked between his legs where Wyatt was hiding, peeking out from behind dark dress pants. "Wy? Manners?"

"Hi, Ms. Miller," Wyatt said quietly, shivering from the prospect of speaking (and maybe from the sugar rush) to another adult. He got his anxiety from Ryan, most definitely - the non-confrontational type.

"Hi, Wyatt," she gave a small wave. "You can go and check out the bookshelf if you'd like, while I talk with your stepdad."

Shane looked at her questionably. _Stepdad?_

Wyatt shook his head and gripped tighter to the hem of Shane's shirt that he'd pulled from where it was tucked. Shane frowned, bending down in front of Wyatt.

"This won't take long." Shane brushed some of Wyatt's hair behind his ear. "Do you want me to call dad? Would that make you feel less nervous? You know he'd drop everything to make you feel more comfortable."

Wyatt shook his head, puffing his chest out. "I'm a big boy. I'm okay."

"I think you'd have much more fun looking through those books over there, bud. You don't want to hear all this boring adult talk." Shane looked to Ms. Miller, who agreed with a nod.

Wyatt looked between them hesitantly before kissing Shane on the cheek and stumbling to the other side of the classroom.

"His father told us in an email that you're fairly new in his life?" She gestured to one of the small chairs in front of her desk. Well, they may have been a good size for Ryan. Shane crouched in it, his knees to his chest, trying his hardest not to as uncomfortable as he was. He placed his hands on his knees.

"A few years," Shane said with a shrug, "But I suppose, relatively new. In a sense. Compared to Ryan."

"And the transition has gone well? Moving around and all of that?"

Shane paused, confused. "I... suppose?"

"Well, I wanted to talk briefly about Wyatt's behavior and his learning," the small woman said, reaching into one of her desk drawers. Shane thought about mentioning what a weird line of inquiry had just happened, but he ended up keeping his mouth shut when he laid eyes on the object Wyatt's teacher was bringing into his periphery.

"Oh," Shane breathed, staring at the vivid tabs that peered around the white cover. Ms. Miller looked up at him and he pointed at the three-ring in her hands. "That's an awesome binder."

"Oh..." She smiled oddly and nodded once, "Thank you."

"Sorry," Shane leaned back, rubbing his palms up and down his thighs. "I've just got a bit of an obsession with, uh. Organization."

"It shows." She placed the binder, open, on the desk in front of Shane. "Wyatt's shown great progress over this year and the last."

Shane looked at the graphs with an eyebrow raised, his hand falling under his chin to hold his head up. Wyatt's work ethic was particularly fast. For a third grader. "Well. That's interesting."

"I'll admit," she said, glancing over Shane's shoulder to Wyatt, who skimmed the books with his fingers, completely uninterested in them. They were far too childlike for him. Shane could barely bear his own pride. "I was beginning to think that he was making you up."

Shane laughed, though it made perfect sense, "He paints vivid pictures, yes."

"I could compile a separate notebook full of drawings of you with, um." She mimed wings and Shane nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, he's got a very creative imagination," Shane agreed.

"You do have wings, though!" Wyatt said from across the room, legs planted like he wanted to run and jump on Shane but didn't want to make a scene. "He flew me to Tokyo!"

Shane didn't dispute, but offered Wyatt's teacher a shrug as if to say _kids, right?_

The meeting didn't last long; Shane just explained how he helped Wyatt with homework every now and then, and Ms. Miller would take notes and ask questions about what it was like to have such a bright child in his home ("It can be difficult at times," Shane would recall, biting the inside of his cheek. "He's fascinated with fire.") and all of it was quite easy.

When Shane stood to leave, he turned and looked at the small lady with warm eyes. "One more question."

"Shoot."

"I really want to be more involved," Shane said, lacing his own fingers together. He felt small hands grasping his and he pulled Wyatt effortlessly up and on his shoulders. He was thankful for the high ceiling. "With the school. Do there happen to be any openings with the PTO? I don't know how these things work, but I'd love to participate - "

"That would be great," Ms. Miller said. She shook her head, "Frankly, it's a bit of a mess, but with how you handle Wyatt and your organizational mind? I think you'd fix it up quite easily."

Shane pursed his lips in a smile, surprised. He didn't want to say anything about the handling Wyatt statement, so he overlooked it. "Well, alright. Can I - "

She had a pamphlet at the ready, pushing it into his hands. Wyatt crawled down his back, wrapping his legs around Shane's ribs and his arms around his neck. Shane was nonplussed, looking over the information with curious eyes.

"This seems easy enough," Shane said with a nod. "Thank you very much. It means a lot."

Ms. Miller nodded once and turned back to her desk.

"What's that?" Wyatt asked as Shane ducked under the exit door, letting the warm sunlight seep into his skin. Shane glanced down at the papers in his hands.

"Just some parent homework," Shane said. He reached back and scooped Wyatt up in his arm, swinging him to the ground as they reached the car. "But fun."

"Why can't my homework be fun?" Wyatt crawled into the back seat.

"It is, when I help you."

"I guess."

-

"Ryan, they're a mess." Shane pushed his glasses up on his nose, face buried in the laptop Ryan had given him a few Christmases back. The back was littered in stickers that Wyatt had snuck on when no one was looking. Shane loved him too much to remove them. "Their fundraisers are raking in little to no money because it's a disaster. No advertising, no reward. They might as well just set out a tin bucket and make the kids beg beside the car rider line."

"They did, once," Ryan mumbled, half asleep, cheek pressed against Shane's bicep. He was there for moral support.

"Jesus," Shane ran a hand over his face, under his glasses, fingers snagging on his bottom lip. "I'm just what they need."

"You're just what they need," Ryan said, voice warm with pride. "Look at you. Diving right in."

"I can't help myself," Shane said. "I'll make more than enough progress before I meet Linda and Stephen."

"You sure will," Ryan said, reaching out and slowly closing the laptop. "Now. Come lay with me and relax before you work your head numb tomorrow."

"You don't need to tell me twice," Shane said. He shed his glasses and set the laptop on the bedside table, swaddling himself and Ryan in his wings, pressing a kiss to Ryan's forehead.

"I'm proud of you," Ryan said. "You can't hear what I'm thinking, but that's what I'm thinking."

Shane hummed, "Thank you, Ry."

"I feel like you need to hear that, sometimes."

"Probably," Shane agreed. He pressed a kiss to Ryan's forehead and closed his eyes.

-

Shane entered the library with his own binder under his arm, looking around with curious eyes. It was a few hours after he'd picked Wyatt up from school and, without the bustle of small bodies and the direct brightness of the overhead lights, it seemed like a ghost town. Shane shivered; he was well aware of an unwelcome space when he'd seen one.

"Hello?" He looked around, searching for some sign or proof that he was in the right place, when he saw a sole table in the very back, obscured by a half of a bookcase. A few mothers and a past teacher of Wyatt's peered around from their seats, waving him over.

"Are you Shane?" One of the mothers asked.

"Wyatt's stepdad?" Ms. Long, his first grade teacher, raised an eyebrow.

"That's me. Hello." Shane approached, feeling oddly uncomfortable under the weight of their stares. And there it was again. That step-word. Sure, it was probably the truth, but it was odd to hear. Stepparents were usually the worst, right? "Is this...?"

"Sarah told us you were coming," another mother spoke up, gesturing to a seat. Shane sat down thankfully. "We could really use some help. With everything."

"Well, I'll be honest," Shane placed his palms on the cover of his binder, "I think I have solutions to all of your problems and, with a quick glimpse into the future, your solutions for the next few years."

They laughed. Of course they did, because how would he see into the future? Shane just smiled in response.

The rest of the meeting was a breeze. Shane had created a website (with the help of Ryan, to make it look less ancient and to fix the font and color choices, as Shane was far from a designer) for the school, beyond the basic one that gave lunch menus and calendars. He printed out papers with links and descriptions, a very basic template for something that could be sent home with the students to notify about this new website, where fundraisers and extra activities would be listed and updated daily.

There was more, but after that, Shane's memory is a bit hazy. He got very excited.

"That seems like a good place to stop," Ms. Long said. Shane flipped his binder closed and went to stand.

"Thank you for letting me kind of... spill," he said, tucking his notebook back under his arm.

"It was very helpful," a woman said, shaking her head. "You've done more today than we've even thought about in a month."

"I'm glad I could help," Shane shrugged.

"You'll be coming back tomorrow, yes?"

"If that's alright?" Shane said. "I'd like to help as much as I can."

"That would be great." They nodded and Shane gave a final small wave before walking swiftly back to his car.

"Stepdad," he muttered to himself, pulling out of the parking lot.

-

"Am I a stepdad?" Shane stood behind Ryan as he brushed his teeth, his arms wrapped around himself as he leaned in the doorway.

"Uh?" Ryan leaned to spit, glancing at him in the mirror. "I don't think so."

"I tried looking it up, but the definition was mostly applicable to very normal straight families and I don't think we apply," Shane said. Ryan's chest felt warm at the word family. "I just. I don't wanna be a stepdad. I wanna be a fun, real dad."

"Stepdads are real," Ryan offered. He held a washcloth under the faucet, waiting for the water to get warm. "But no. I don't know where Wyatt's mom is or what she's up to, and you're the only other parent figure in his life. So, in that case, you're just his father."

Shane shifted. Ryan wrung the towel out and turned to Shane, "Turn around."

"They kept calling me his _stepdad_ ," Shane whined, turning and bearing his back to Ryan, the skin over his wings red and pulsing. He sighed as the warmth hit the pain and he leaned lax against the wall.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, Ryan. I wasn't going to antagonize over something so little as a word," Shane scoffed, as if he hadn't done it before.

"It's bothering you, though," Ryan said, his arms beginning to ache as he reached up. "Why don't you lay down? It'll make this easier."

"Right, of course." Shane ran and jumped onto the mattress. Ryan rolled his eyes but followed, crawling and sitting on the small of Shane's back.

"Don't worry about it," Ryan said, pressing the heels of his hands gently over the washcloth. "They probably think Wyatt's mom is still in the picture and want to be careful."

"Maybe," Shane said, voice muffled as his cheek pressed against the bed. "I don't know. It just makes me feel weird."

"It's not, like, a slur, Shane."

"Feels like one."

"Shane."

"Okay! Okay," Shane sighed and let his eyes close. "I'm relaxing. I'm chilling. Letting my man heal me."

"Please don't call me that," Ryan bit out through a wide grin.

"I may not hear your thoughts, but I can read your fuckin' voice," Shane muttered, pressing his cheek further into the soft bed as Ryan continued his ministrations.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> boy oh boy, i can not wait for the next chapter

"Ryan!" Shane called from somewhere in the house. Ryan groaned, covering his face with his hands, pulling the covers up and over his shoulders.

"It's my day off!" He yelled back.

"Yes, but I'm doing stuff and I need an email and I don't understand how I'm supposed to set this up." Shane's voice was closer, just outside the door. Ryan could picture Shane's hands braced against the wood, forehead cold against the paint. "Please help."

"Ask Wyatt," Ryan spoke into his pillow, closing his eyes again.

"I don't... well, okay." Soft, padding footsteps receded after a gentle two raps on the door.

Ryan sighed into the fabric, taking a moment to remember how to move his limbs. The least he could do was support Shane's weird pipe dream of being a soccer mom. Ryan braced the heels of his hands beside his head, pushing himself up to sit on his calves, the warm blanket slipping away. He could hear Wyatt's laugh filter under the door, a low rumble of Shane's Monster Voice. It encouraged him onto the floor and towards the noise.

"Sorry, did we wake you?" Shane asked sheepishly, holding Wyatt over his head with straight arms. Wyatt looked over at his father with bright eyes.

"I thought you were making an email," Ryan said, falling onto the couch and folding his legs over. Shane winked at him and a warm cup of coffee appeared in his empty palms. "Oh, thank you."

"I was," Shane nodded to his open laptop that laid on the coffee table, "But it's very hard."

"It's really not," Ryan and Wyatt said in unison.

"Eh, I got bored and I'd rather do this," Shane lifted Wyatt up just two inches more for emphasis. Wyatt broke into a separate fit of giggles.

"You're very strong," Ryan said over his mug. He took a sip, unashamedly raking his eyes over Shane's body.

"Behave," Shane said, lowering Wyatt onto his feet. Wyatt walked, slightly dizzy, to settle under Ryan's arm. "But seriously, I do need help with this email thing."

"Can't you just?" Wyatt tilted his head, "Use your bird powers?"

"Nope," Shane said cheerfully, "I made a promise and I'm not going back on it."

"This is going to be a hard few weeks if you can't make an email by yourself, baby." Ryan's voice was full of concern.

"It's a good thing that I'm marrying into a very smart family," Shane said, sitting next to Wyatt.

"I thought you were already married?" Wyatt pointed to Ryan's ring.

"Not quite. That's just... me promising that I'll marry him," Shane said. He tugged Ryan's hand to his mouth and kissed it. Wyatt gagged. "Now, smart boys! Please help me."

-

Shane found himself sitting in Ryan's lap, long legs flowing over the side of Ryan's thighs, as he typed, his forehead resting in the crook of his human's neck and his skin warm under the humming machine.

"What are you doing now?" Ryan murmured, turning his head just slightly to see.

"Updating the websites," Shane said. "Which is somehow much easier than creating an account for anything, nowadays."

"Yeah, there are a lot of loopholes."

Shane took a deep breath, opening his email and blinking at his inbox. "Already?"

"You're very popular," Ryan smiled.

"Sarah says hello," Shane said, pointing to the screen where she'd sent a hello to his 'beloved,' whatever that meant.

"She's a nut," Ryan chuckled quietly. Wyatt laid in the nest of Shane's legs, hugging onto his shin, staring off into space and doing absolutely nothing. "I think she told me once that she built an apartment for her cat."

"That's reasonable," Shane said, typing up some half-ass heartfelt response, _thank you for teaching Wyatt, have a great long weekend,_ something of that nature. "Cats are people too, Ryan."

Ryan rolled his eyes. He pressed his cheek against Shane's hair, "What are you doing, now?"

"I'm trying to pitch a fundraiser," Shane said. He turned his head to look at Ryan. "When was the last time they had a fair?"

"It's been a few years," Ryan said, trying to remember what all had been there. "It was pretty quaint, but Wyatt was too young to remember anything."

"I think it could be fun," Shane hummed. "Raise some spirits, get some money."

"Sounds like the very definition of fun."

"I know, right?" Shane kissed the side of Ryan's neck and continued typing.

-

"What is this, again?" Shane dragged his knife through the food on his plate. The orange light fixture over his head did little to illuminate their table, but Wyatt seemed content stuffing his face.

"No idea," Ryan conceded, taking a long sip of wine. "You ordered it."

"Grilled vegetables," Shane said solemnly, poking at things. "Fascinating."

"Remind me to get two kids menus next time," Ryan said, smiling at him. "You're very simple."

Shane shrugged, "It's how my mom raised me."

Ryan opened his mouth to ask about that, wanting to hear more.

"Oh. Hi."

Shane looked up from his food, fork stuck in a pile of dark-something, and met eyes with Ms. Miller.

"...Hello," he said. Ryan turned his eyes in the general vicinity of Shane's gaze and raised an eyebrow at the woman who smiled down at them. Shane sitting down, Ryan was proud to notice, was nearly the same height as her.

"Hi, Sarah," he said. He nudged the human boy beside him, "Wyatt, say hello."

Wyatt gave a shy wave, "Hi, Ms. Miller."

"How are you?" Ryan asked, though he didn't want to. I don't like how she's looking at us, Shane thought, and Ryan couldn't agree more.

"It's so lovely," she said, waving an arm around, "to see you all getting along."

"... Yes," Shane agreed, stuffing a grilled vegetable into his mouth.. "I suppose it is."

"Well, I was going to send an email, but since I've found you here..." Shane wondered if she was going to sit down, but thankfully, she didn't. "I have a workshop tomorrow and I need a substitute."

Shane nodded, "I don't have... my substitute list with me, but when I get home I can send them - "

"Would you?" Ms. Miller asked. ""Be the substitute?"

Ryan and Shane blinked once. Wyatt stood up in his chair, taking a deep breath to yell in victory, but Shane gently swooped him down and into his lap.

"I... I don't believe I'm qualified for that."

"I've got all the lesson plans laid out on my desk," she said, as if she didn't hear him, "And you can leave by lunchtime."

"I'm not a teacher," Shane said.

"Administration says it's fine. You've made great strides in the school, a big impact."

Shane blinked. On one hand - he was in no position to teach and his heart felt like it was going to explode at the mere idea that he would have to. On the other hand - he had nothing to do all day, and teaching a class full of kids would be a great thing to mention to Ryan's parents.

"Well, if the administration says it's fine..." Shane wrapped a hand around his cold glass but didn't move.

Ryan looked at him, whispering, "Did you do this?"

"No, Ryan, why the hell would I do this?" Shane whispered back, eyes wide.

"You don't mind, do you?" Ms. Miller was smiling and Wyatt was hugging his arm.

Shane rubbed a hand over his face.

-

"It's going alright," Shane said into the phone, standing with a hand on his hip as he watched the small blurs run around the bright playground. "I'm helping them divide big numbers by small numbers. Or something like that."

"I'm amazed," Ryan's voice was beaming through the phone. "One, that she would ask you. Two, that you DID it. Three, that you're not pulling your hair out."

"They're third graders, not kindergartners. It's not as hard as it could be," Shane said, though his heart was beating out of his chest. "Though I don't think I'll be doing this again any time soon."

"How's Wy? Well-behaved?"

"Beyond my wildest dreams," Shane sighed. Wyatt spotted him on the phone and began to sprint across the gravel. "Even if all the kids are now asking if I can fly them home."

"Yikes."

Wyatt jumped into Shane's arms - Shane caught him with one, pushing up him and onto his shoulders with his left hand. Ms. Long peered over her glasses at him, and one of the assistant teachers gasped, but Shane didn't notice.

"Hi, Dad!" Wyatt yelled into Shane's ear.

Shane blinked a few times, trying to rid himself of the ringing, "You wanna talk?"

"No, just saying hi," Wyatt said.

"Hi, baby!" Ryan said back. Wyatt grinned.

"Bird," Wyatt whined, resting his head in Shane's hair. "Please, please, PLEASE will you show them you're a bird."

"No," Shane said. He held his hand out and Wyatt used it as a step stool. Shane bent down and let him jump to the ground. "Just you and Dad can know, Wy."

"But PLEASE."

"No."

"No," Ryan said, distant.

"Thank you," Shane mumbled into the phone.

"Whatever," Wyatt said. Shane ruffled his hair.

"Tell your friends you've got five minutes left outside."

-

Ryan entered the living room, immediately catching a face full of Shane, who was pacing on the ceiling, effortlessly dodging the light fixtures left and right.

"Yes, I can hold," Shane said, putting his phone on speaker and placing it down (up?) on the ceiling. An old Katy Perry song began to play, muffled and distant, and Shane winced.

"What... are you doing?"

"Booking a bouncy castle for the fair," Shane said quietly. He sat down, crossing his legs over one another, his hair dangling straight up, reaching for the carpet.

"There's gonna be a fair?" Ryan asked, trying to figure out a way to ask if he could walk on the ceiling as well. "You got funding?"

"Of sorts," Shane said, looking with furrowed eyebrows to the phone that switched to a newer Katy Perry song. What was it with kids and Katy Perry? Wasn't she constantly talking about sexual things under the guise of candy? Maybe Shane was out of the loop. "It'll be more of a... festival, but yes."

"Aren't... aren't the people from the school supposed to do that?" Ryan raised an eyebrow, yelping as Shane pulled him up and stuck him on the ceiling as well. He clutched onto Shane's shirt, but his feet felt as though they were stuck to the cold surface.

"Yes, but they won't," Shane pulled him to lay down and Ryan was just beginning to feel lightheaded. "They've all got excuses."

"That's... not great," Ryan said, closing his eyes. He felt Shane around him and it was comforting, but all of his insides were rushing into his brain. "Will you take me back to the ground?"

"Oh, oh! Right, you've got blood." Shane snapped his fingers and they were back on the ground, Ryan in Shane's arms, a bottle of water pressed to his lips, "Deep breaths."

-

"We've got about a week left, and I know it's a bit ambitious," Shane held his hands out, as if to say hear me out, "but I think investing in a few more attractions would prove very helpful."

"What attractions?" A mother asked.

"I agree," said another.

"No one else could do this," Ms. Long piped up.

Shane beamed, turning his laptop around. "I'm glad you think so. I've got a lot of ideas. I hope you brought snacks this time, Angela."

Wordlessly, she lifted her purse as if she was offended at the prospect that she wouldn't have.

-

The pain, Shane could deal with. The throbbing of his upper back, of his skull just underneath his skin. That was okay - he'd experienced worse, and Ryan knew that - as a matter of fact, he was in intense pain when they first met. Pain wasn't bad, and this pain was certainly the least of his problems. Gaining human attributes, rekindling old emotions and sensations? Great, perfect.

Sickness? No. No, no.

Shane woke up, his skull attempting to creep out into open air through his pores and his stomach actively battling with whatever food he had eaten in his entire century of living, and rushed into the bathroom to expel whatever was coming up his throat.

Cool hands were on his back in seconds, rubbing and comforting.

Shane rested his hot cheek against cold porcelain. "Ryan."

"Yes, Shane."

"Humanity is so..." he closed his eyes, " _Disgusting_."

Ryan kissed the top of Shane's head, ignoring how sweaty Shane's hair was. "It has its moments, dear."

"I'm dying," Shane whispered, hoarse, opening his mouth to complain more before choking on a gag and bracing himself for another bout of suffering. "Ryan. Help me."

"I'll get ice packs. You're burning up."

"How? What in me could be burning?" Shane's voice couldn't be more whiny if it tried, "No blood, I'm all empty. Just bones and evil stuff."

"Hellfire, perhaps?" Ryan joked, but Shane closed his mouth thoughtfully and Ryan didn't ask any more questions.

Shane would find himself shirtless and in his underwear, sprawled out on the king-size bed with every fan in the house pointed directly at him. It wasn't enough, it was never enough. The idea of having to empty his stomach into a trashcan was degrading enough, but he had to be sweaty and naked as well. Ryan had taken Wyatt to school, offering to call Shane and keep him company on the ten-minute trip, but Shane refused. He was embarrassed enough.

Ryan returned, holding two bags of remedies, "Are you allergic to anything?"

"What- Ryan, please don't dad-experiment on me," Shane groaned, turning himself over on his stomach, burying his face on the pillow.

"We need to regulate your fever."

"Don't wanna."

"Shane." Shane could hear the rustle of plastic bags. "You are 102 years old. Act like it."

"You want me to break all my limbs and lose all my teeth?"

"C'mon," Ryan crawled onto the bed beside Shane, brushing his hands through his wet hair, "Please let me try to help."

"Just..." Shane looked up at him before his eyes lit up (the best they could behind a glaze), "Ice bath."

"What?"

"I definitely can't fly right now, too weak." Shane went to push himself to sit up, but Ryan ended up having to pull him into an upright position. "So just give me an ice bath."

"Those are inhumane."

"So am I," Shane went to stand but rolled onto the floor with a thud. "Ryan, my legs don't work."

"You're such a wimp," Ryan said, gathering Shane into his arms and carrying him into the bathroom. "Where am I even gonna get enough ice for you?"

"I think... Hold on, lemme just..." Shane squeezed his eyes closed, resting his damp forehead in the crook of Ryan's neck, concentrating. A few ice cubes clattered into the bottom of the tub, then a few more.

Ryan just watched. It was always fascinating, Shane's abilities. When the tub was about a third of the way full (it took awhile), Ryan maneuvered the tall body to sit on the floor, leaning back on the cold side of the divider, while he filled the rest of the space with water.

"I can't believe you're just gonna..." Ryan bent down, lifting Shane bridal style on his knees, "Do you need anything before hand, or am I just... throwing you in there?"

"Don't throw me anywhere. But yes, please." Shane's arms loosened around Ryan's neck as he was lowered, his skin sizzling. He sighed, sinking into the cool water and letting only the top of his head peek out, his eyes relieved. He tilted his back, letting his mouth appear over the water, "Thank you."

"You're insane," Ryan said, grabbing a towel with shaky hands to dry his arms off after he'd dipped them in. "How does it even feel?"

"Amazing." Shane smiled, his cheeks rosy and eyes half-closed in satisfaction. "I feel much better."

"You're. Insane," Ryan settled on the cold tiles of the bathroom, folding his arms on the side of the tub, resting his chin on his forearm. Shane was so nice to look at.

"I love you," Shane said quietly, holding an icy hand out for Ryan to hold. "Thank you for dealing."

"I'm not dealing," Ryan rolled his eyes, kissing Shane's hand. "I think next time you teach, though, you should take medication beforehand."

"What?" Shane looked at him, confused.

"Schools, Shane. Schools are full of germs."

Shane blinked, turning his eyes to the water. "Betrayed by my own son," he whispered.

"No!" Ryan went to smack his shoulder but Shane held his hands up and threatened to splash if Ryan came any closer.

-

"Sorry I wasn't at the last meeting," Shane said apologetically, falling into a small wooden chair, his knees bumping against the bottom of the table. "I was feeling pretty under the weather."

"It happens," Ms. Long said.

"It does," agreed a mother, maybe too enthusiastically.

"Hopefully, your better half nursed you to health!"

Shane raised an eyebrow at Sarah, who stared at him with bright eyes.

"Yeah, well." Shane shrugged, "After an ice bath or two, I was cured."

There was a chorus of chuckles and awes around the table. Shane looked down to his lap.

The meeting went on without a hitch. There were two days and a night left to finish up all of the scheduling and planning, and Shane had nothing but a positive energy about it. A few nerves, but that was only because the day following the fair was the day he would meet Ryan's parents.

Sarah Miller jumped to snag his sleeve as he was walking out the door and Shane gently tugged himself away, looking down at the small woman with curious eyes.

"Hello?"

"I just wanted to thank you again for taking over that one day," she said, clasping her hands together. "It was amazing and all of the kids can't stop talking about how fun it was."

"That's good," Shane said, nodding, angling his body away as if his torso was still trying to leave.

"Is your fiance coming with you on Friday?" She asked, hushed, her smile fading just slightly.

"Um... yes? Why?" Shane tilted his head, "Was I not supposed to - "

"No, it's fine! I just think everyone wants to meet each other, you know."

"You... well, okay," Shane adjusted his grip on his binder. "Yeah. Ryan'll be there."

"Why, of course he will," she said with an odd look, before turning and walking down the hall.

Shane decided not to dwell on it. He drove silently back to his family and scooped them up in his arms and made sure they knew they were loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> are u picking up the sus vibes? there are some serious sus vibes.
> 
> oh, and thank you for reading! i love soft boys, i'm glad other people do too :,)


	4. Chapter 4

Shane stretched his arms over his head, the absence of Ryan in his side running a shiver down his spine. The blankets were warmer with Ryan in them - sure, because his blood was hot and his skin was generally a built-in heater, but mostly because Ryan generally made Shane feel warm inside. Even if it had been impossible to do for 100 years.

"Ryannn," Shane called, thinking it as hard as he could, begging his better half to return and bring the warmth with him. "Ryan, I'm lonely."

A small head peeked in, bright eyes lit up with more excitement than he could bear at 6:30 am on a Friday.

"Good morning, Bird," Wyatt said softly, a stage whisper and a half.

"Oh," Shane said, sitting up and rubbing at the sheet imprints on his arms. Fascinating. "Good morning, Wy."

"Is he awake?" Ryan's deep morning voice made Shane's insides wobbly.

"Yes...?" Shane spoke just loud enough for his human around the corner to hear, "I mind-called for you."

"Yeah, but that could have been in your dreams," Ryan said, stepping into the room with a tray full of breakfast foods, his hair a mess and his shirt backwards on his body. Shane sat up straight, eyes wide and sparkling at the prospect of a Breakfast in Bed kind of morning. "You're always so loud in your dreams."

"I... I'm not going to ask questions," Shane said, folding his legs over one another as Wyatt crawled onto the bed, handing him a fork. "What's all this for?"

"For bein' the best," Wyatt said.

"Well, I'm always the best," Shane replied, and Ryan sighed.

"Being the best at PTOing," Ryan added, kneeling on the bed and placing the tray in front of Shane. There were pancakes to boot, bacon and eggs on their own plates. A few drinks to choose from. Shane was in heaven. Ha. "You've done more in the past few weeks than they've done in a few years."

Shane shrugged, "All without demon- I mean. Bird powers."

Ryan glared at him, but Wyatt was too enthralled by the food to have been listening. Shane winked at his human, who simply sat on his ankles and gestured for Shane to divvy out the breakfast as he so desired.

-

Shane entered the building with his chest held high. Out of all the possible ways to start a morning as stressful as this, this was the best one. He'd eaten, he'd showered, he'd forgotten about meeting Ryan's parents the next day as he stuffed all of the party favors, tickets, and food he'd promised to bring into the back of Ryan's car. It was a win all around.

Until the rest of the PTO showed up. Then everything sucked and Shane wanted to go home. If it weren't for Shane's nearly unshakable spirit and his undying love for his family, he would have left and slept for ten years.

Ms. Long had a few ideas to give but it was much to late to incorporate them, so Shane just told her, "Maybe next time?" and distracted her with tasks that would waste time.

The mothers came hours early, carrying problems in their palms and Shane gently turned them away, promising that each and every one of their concerns, though important to him, was not grounded in reality and the cotton candy machine wouldn't catch fire. If something went so terribly wrong, he would definitely do something to stop that - if that required some cryptid energy, so be it. He didn't tell them that part, though.

And then there was Sarah Miller, who looked at him oddly and silently until lunchtime, when she finally spoke.

"So," she said, rocking on her heels like a high-schooler, "where is she?"

Shane turned away from one of the flimsy plastic tables, looking down at her. "Who?"

She stared. Shane tried again.

"Kerry? She's in her office, like usual," Shane said with a dismissive wave. "Why, did I need to talk to her or something?"

"No," she just... stared. Teacher eyes, burying into the empty space between Shane's eyes where a functioning idea should have been. "You know. Her."

Shane looked down at his hands like they had the answer. Human women were very confusing. "Uh...? I don't know."

"You don't know where your own fiance is?" Sarah rolled her eyes, hands on her hips.

"Oh," Shane said, blinking, before he understood. "Oh, no. No, no, my fiance isn't Wyatt's mother, my fiance is Wyatt's dad. Ryan. I'm engaged to _Ryan_."

"Oh." Sarah stared at him for a long time, before nodding slowly, "Well, why didn't you say so?"

"I figured he'd already told you?" Shane shrugged, "Sorry for the miscommunication. Uh."

"It's completely alright," Sarah's hands came to rest in the air, calming Shane down though he was an image of sereneness. She smiled, "We don't discriminate! This is California, Shane. Don't worry."

"Thanks, I... didn't think it was a problem," Shane looked at the streamers on the table, "But okay. Thanks."

Sarah Miller gave him a thumbs up before disappearing into the supply closet. Shane just continued his work, draping color across the walls and covering all of the school-related things he could find. He wanted to make a safe and fun space, and school was not that.

-

Shane had his hands on his hips, surveying the land and his handiwork, feeling a real sense of his pride in himself. There was no terrified screaming, no death or peril - only controlled chaos. And he'd done it. A demon, controlling chaos. Chaotic children, no less.

He looked toward the inflatables, checking to see if the shoe system was working (it was) and caught familiar, young eyes, a small, blurry body immediately sprinting towards him.

Wyatt was grasping his leg in seconds, climbing up his side and hanging himself over Shane's shoulder, prodding at his upper back. Shane winced, just edging on a struggle to keep the boy in his arms and his wings still tender with pain. He really needed to see someone about that.

"There's no on-switch for the wings, bud," Shane said, hooking his arm over the kid's bottom to keep him from falling. "Sorry."

"That's dumb," Wyatt pouted, moving to look at him. "Will you go on the slide with me?"

"No, I've got to stay down here just in case someone needs me," Shane smiled at Wyatt as he messed up Shane's hair in protest. "I'll stand here at the bottom and cheer you on, if you'd like."

"I just want you to go down the slide with you," Wyatt pouted, knowing precisely how to get Shane to do something. "Don't you love me?"

Shane nearly did it - he'd never been down one and was frankly curious - but he heard Ryan's voice somewhere in the crowd and spun around, searching for his human frantically. Wyatt pulled at his ears and collar, constantly requiring his attention, but Shane's eyes were hurried, jumping from unfamiliar face to unfamiliar face.

"He planned all of this himself," Shane could hear Ryan talking to someone, but the bustling crowd of parents and children obstructed his company from view. "Joined the PTO just a few weeks ago."

"He did?" An older man. "Impressive."

Shane tried to tune his ears better, try to figure out if he'd ever heard that voice before, but he didn't have to.

They were Ryan's parents. Stephen and Linda. Those were them, they had to be.

"Shane," Ryan was snapping in front of his face, his free hand warm on his hip. "Shane, hey, are you here with us?"

"I'm here," Shane said, suddenly aware that Wyatt was on his shoulders and actively pulling at his hair. "Hi, Ry."

"Hello," Ryan patted the side of his face, glancing over his expression for any signs of stress, and smiled at the absence of all of them, "I'm so proud of you! Look at all of this!"

"I know, it all worked out. Thank goodness." Shane nodded once before bringing himself to look at the older couple standing over Ryan's shoulder. He found his bearings, grounding himself and reminding himself about first impressions. He extended a hands to each of them, "So nice to finally meet you."

 _They're early,_ Shane thought.

"They came a bit early," Ryan said out loud, watching Shane kiss the back of his mother's hand. Linda rolled her eyes but accepted it anyway. "Picked them up an hour ago."

"This is a pleasant surprise," Shane said, genuinely. "I'm glad you're here."

"So are we," Stephen said, his voice slightly hinting at awe as he finally looked away from Shane's towering frame.

"Bird, can we get ice cream?" Wyatt was overwhelmed by the lack of attention he was receiving.

"Of course," Shane said, "But you're not allowed to eat ice cream while you're up there. I'd rather not like ice cream in my hair."

"Ugh," Wyatt said, but crawled down Shane's front anyway. Shane grimaced, his back taut with pain as the boy returned to the ground. Ryan's parents laughed quietly, having no reason to find this reaction strange, but Ryan gently placed a hand on Shane's forearm.

"Are you okay?" He whispered, looking up at Shane with wide eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Shane said. _Just the wings_ , he thought. Ryan frowned but nodded anyway.

Shane gave Ryan's parents the grand tour with Ryan on his arm. Ryan knew Shane was nervous, but that was simply because Ryan could actively hear the quiet chants of fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckI'msonervous in Shane's head. Ryan's parents seemed genuinely impressed by Ryan's "choice of man," and Ryan couldn't have been more happy with the day than he was. Oh, and Wyatt got his ice cream.

And Shane snuck him a second one, and Ryan had some words for Shane about that, but it could wait until later.

-

"That was amazing," Ryan said, unprompted, as he walked out of the bathroom with a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. Shane was on the bed on his stomach, flipping through a newspaper from several years ago that he'd found under Ryan's desk. "Really, Shane. Absolutely amazing."

"Thank you, dear," Shane said, placing the paper on the night stand and propping his chin on his hands. The heating pad strapped around his bare chest constricted his breathing, though just a bit, and he wheezed against the pressure. Regardless, seeing Ryan shirtless was always a wonderful distraction. "It was a pretty big success, I'd think."

"All thanks to you," Ryan sprinted back to the bathroom to spit but stuck his head out, "And you did a wonderful job managing those teachers."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," Shane rubbed his eyes, rolling onto his back and sighing as the pressure and heat worked their magic. "Apparently, they thought my fiance was your ex-wife."

"Yikes," Ryan said simply.

"I didn't expect so much... gushing," Shane said with a weak laugh, "They were damn near close to asking for an autograph."

"They're intense," the human agreed, crawling onto the bed. "Do you need anything?"

"Just you," Shane sighed, his eyes fluttering closed. Ryan rolled him over onto his stomach again, massaging Shane's upper back. "I'm exhausted."

"Then sleep?" Ryan paused for just a moment to kiss him between his shoulder blades

Shane's phone buzzed and the demon groaned, pressing his face into the mattress. "Fuck."

"I'll check it," Ryan ran his fingers through Shane's damp hair, a comforting gesture that nearly knocked Shane out. Ryan straddled Shane's back, tentatively patting the heating pad and grabbing Shane's phone. "It's an email."

"Fuck," Shane said again, slurred, his cheek pressed against the bed and his eyes squeezing closed. "I wanna sleep forever."

"You can try, but Wyatt won't allow it." Ryan said, moving his hand up to play with the hair at the nape of Shane's neck. "Permission to read?"

"Permission granted," Shane said. Or something like that. His mouth was no longer working. Ryan's fingers were incredibly skilled.

Ryan unlocked Shane's phone with his fingerprint and skimmed over the email, his face contorting into a frown and his finger halting.

"Wha?" Shane muttered.

"Hey, this is bullshit."

"Wha?" Shane muttered, slightly more awake.

Ryan laid his entire weight against Shane, apologizing under his breath, resting his head on top of his demon's and holding the phone out for him to see.

 _from: bellpto@gmail.com_  
_to: shaneamadej@gmail.com_  
_subject: Thank You and Parent Concerns_

_Hello, Shane._

_We want to first thank you for all you have done for our PTO and our school community as a whole. Your involvement has made great strides, improving our fundraising skills and giving us a lot to think about. The fair today was a big success, and many parents and staff members applauded you in our meeting today. We are thankful that we had the privilege to meet and collaborate with you and your son._

_However, we must now urge you not to come back to PTO meetings from now on, as we have received several parents' calls and emails concerned about their children's development. Members of the PTO are supportive of you and your partner, though as a community-funded organization, we have to listen to the community out cry._

_We hope you understand! Have a wonderful weekend._

_\- Bell PTO_

Shane snapped his fingers. Ryan was sitting on the bed, hands empty, still shirtless while Shane was walking out the door fully clothed, tossing the heating pad to the side. Ryan scrambled to his feet, grabbing a random short-sleeved shirt and throwing it on.

"Shane - "

"Hi, this is Shane Madej for Kerry Bellamy," Shane was walking on the ceiling again and Ryan couldn't get him down if he tried, so he didn't. Wyatt stumbled out from his bedroom, rubbing his eyes sleepily but immediately perking up at the sight of his bird doing something so silly. "No, I won't hold."

Shane snapped his fingers again. Ryan rolled his eyes and tried to usher Wyatt back to bed.

"Hello, Kerry, this is Shane. I need to talk to you, please." Shane put the phone on speaker and sat down next to the light fixture. Ryan scooped Wyatt up into his arms and sat on the floor underneath Shane. For moral support, of course. Shane looked up (down?) at them and smiled tiredly.

_"Yes, hello, Shane. How are you doing?"_

"I'll be honest, Kerry, I'm not doing wonderful," Shane ran a hand through his hair, "Can you explain why I'm banned from the PTO again?"

 _"It's not banishment, Shane, please don't view it that way."_ There was a sigh over the phone and Ryan's blood was boiling. _"It's simply... a reaction to a resounding outcry."_

"Outcry? From whom?"

 _"We received concerns after the fair today from parents. You know I can't tell you any more, Shane."_ Another sigh. _"We really do appreciate you and all you've done, but we need to hold these criticisms and concerns at a higher priority."_

"Than what? Me?" Shane winced, pressing his palm to the top of his head where his horns throbbed underneath his skin. "I don't understand."

_"I... I know this was very sudden, but you've set the bar quite high and the large crowd... well. There were many eyes in the crowd, and a few of them were..."_

"I can't hold hands with my fiance in public, or I get fired from a job I’m not paid for. Okay." Shane licked his thumb and swiped it across the dust of the light fixture. "I didn't realize there were restrictions to volunteering."

"Shane," Ryan scolded.

_"Please understand - "_

"I'm not upset about me, really, I need you to hear that. This would have been a great opportunity to advocate for someone." Shane shook his head, clearly disappointed. Ryan was amazed. "Certainly, I'm not the only one who deviates from the norm at this school. If you were to, say... provide support to myself and my family, to offer some sort of respect to me, you would be telling people that you love unconditionally. Which is something kids should do."

Ryan was sometimes reminded that Shane was different from humanity, when his wings would appear or his horns would stick out from his bedhead, or his eyes would flicker to dark without much warning. And that was all special, it made Shane unique to their neighborhood of special khakis and tucked shirts. But sometimes, too, Shane would be incredibly human. He would look tired and his hands would shake, or he'd rub his fingers over his forehead in distress, or he'd wear his glasses a bit crooked. Or he'd say some things, something sweet or something introspective or something... nicely inappropriate, that Ryan would never have even thought would have come out of a demon's mouth.

But they did.

"...And I was ready to support my son's school unconditionally. Unfortunately, you knelt to discrimination and now I have a lot of explanation to give my child about who I am and how who you love actually does matter in crazy cases like this."

_"... Discrimination."_

"Yes." Shane nodded. "Thank you for clearing that up, though. I'll let you enjoy your evening."

Ryan had many questions. But Shane hung up the phone, floated down to the ground, kissed Ryan and Wyatt on the head, and walked back to the bedroom to pass out.

-

Ryan woke up before Shane, the demon fast asleep and tucked in his side, and within seconds a wave of responsibility washed over him and nearly knocked him breathless. Shane was definitely unmovable, his thoughts completely quiet and his dreams probably absent.

Ryan decided to make some coffee, make some breakfast, google exactly how to transfer a child from one school to the other. He'd ask if Wyatt wanted to, though, before he made any big decisions. He wasn't one to rip his kid away from a community he'd grown into, but this might deserve to be an exception.

The extra time to think made Ryan's small rug burn of anger into a forest fire of rage. Shane's tense eyebrow seemed to get softer as he slept, and Ryan figured by the time Shane woke up, all of the animosity would be gone. But Ryan had time to dwell, and he couldn't let things go. He was terrible at letting anger simmer or speaking it out at a normal level. He was passionate about things.

On his third cup of coffee, Shane stumbled into the kitchen with his hair a flat mop on his head, his eyes not even open but somehow navigating himself through pouring a cup of coffee. He took a sip and blinked his eyes open, locking his gaze on Ryan, who would never get tired of seeing Shane vulnerable and soft like that.

"Good morning," Shane said.

"Morning," Ryan replied, before holding his phone out. "What do you think?"

Shane took another long swig before placing his mug on an invisible shelf by his hip, squinting at the screen.

"You want to transfer him?" Shane asked with one eyebrow threatening to raise though his energy was drained.

"Well, duh." Ryan blinked. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because he's ingrained?" Shane blinked back, "He's nearly in fourth grade. That's four years of making friendships and learning names and adjusting to learning techniques."

"But they're homophobic."

"The parents are. The teachers aren't," Shane shrugged. "The kids have known we're together for years, too, so that's not new."

"Kids of homophobic parents."

"I promised not to demon anything, but if it would make you feel better, I can get a list of what parents complained." Shane picked his mug up from its nest in the air, "Regardless, Wyatt's smart. If he feels like something's wrong, or someone says something about you, he'll shut it down. He's not a pushover, like you are."

"Not the time for jokes, Shane." Ryan glared, but paused in consideration at Shane's offer, "But... would you?"

Shane winked at him. Ryan felt warm paper in his hands and looked down.

"You're not allowed to accost them," Shane said, leaning on the counter and kissing the top of Ryan's head. "But if you want to transfer Wyatt and he's okay with it, I'll support you in everything."

"Alright," Ryan said, grimacing at the names. "I thought I knew these people."

"Gay panic is an epidemic," Shane shrugged. "I should apologize to you for not being clear about my relationship with you. I figured it was pretty clear."

"Don't apologize, Shane, what the fuck?" Ryan rolled his eyes, "You didn't have to scream it or tattoo it on your forehead or anything. That isn't the issue."

"If you say so," Shane gave him another kiss on the head. "I'll wake Wyatt up and we can talk about the school thing."

"Okay," Ryan said, folding the paper in half. He felt a bit sick. He'd met these parents in the hallways on open houses, or invited them over for play dates with his son. They'd been in his house. And they thought that the presence of his future husband was going to mess with their development? When would he have found this out, had Shane never come?

The concept of never meeting Shane was a cold one.

Shane appeared, more awake than earlier, with a drowsy Wyatt on his shoulders, clutching to the demon's head.

"Hey," Ryan held his arms out and Shane lowered the boy into Ryan's arms. Ryan grunted. He was getting much bigger than he used to be, and Shane made carrying him look so easy. "We need to talk about something."

"Please don't un-marry," Wyatt said tiredly, but seriously.

"We haven't even gotten married, yet," Shane muttered. He looked at Ryan with wide eyes, a realization dawning on him. _Wait, am I even allowed to get married in a church if I'm a demon? Hold on,_ Shane thought frantically.

"We're not... okay. I need you to wake up a bit and listen, baby, okay?" Ryan brushed Wyatt's wild hair back from his forehead, waving a hand to calm his demon down. The boy blinked his eyes open slightly, fixing his eyes on his father. "After the fair yesterday, Bird got an email saying he isn't allowed to come back because he and I are going to get married," Ryan sighed, trying to keep it simple. "And you don't have to, but we're wondering if you still feel comfortable going to that school. Because we can find another school, if you'd like."

"They don't like you?" Wyatt turned his head in the general direction of Shane.

"Well? Uh. The teachers do, but some parents are worried that I'll, uh. Be a bad influence?" Shane looked at Ryan with a shrug, unsure if that was the right way to say it. "Because I'm with your dad. Some people believe it isn't, ummmm, right."

"You're not a bad influence," Wyatt murmured, confused. "Why can't you come back?"

"It's all a mess, bud." Shane knelt next to Ryan, letting Wyatt wrap his small arms around his neck. "But we just want what's best for you, that you'll like. So if you want to stay, you can, of course. I just... can't do any work there anymore."

"Then I don't want to do any work there anymore," Wyatt said, eyes slowly opening all the way. He placed his small hand on the top of Shane's head, pulling back to look at him. "It's dumb that they don't like you and they're dumb and I don't wanna go back."

Shane nodded with a muffled smile, snapping his mug into the sink, "That settles it, then."

Wyatt kissed Shane's cheek and Ryan passed the boy off, standing to grab his laptop to grab everything he needed. Shane floated up onto the counter, cradling Wyatt close.

"Can we fly there, now? Since they don't like you?" Wyatt asked quietly, nearly whispering, drifting back into sleep.

Shane rolled his eyes, as teary as they were, "No, Wy. Especially not now."

"Dumb," Wyatt said, head falling back against Shane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ha plot twist kinda
> 
> anyway. thanks for reading! i've got a few more plot points to go in this series before i can get to the big celebratory wedding between man and demon. so look out for those!


End file.
